


New

by L_forshort



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Angst, Gallavich, Hurt Mickey, M/M, Original Character(s), Post 7x12, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 08:06:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11413698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_forshort/pseuds/L_forshort
Summary: A year after Ian left Mickey at the border he decides he needs a change of scenery.





	New

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a writer but this was in my head at 3AM this morning, so here it is.

Ian stepped off the bus and took a deep breath. Hot, humid, wet - nothing like Chicago. Florida was warm, sunny and most importantly, new.  
  
  
It had been a year since he'd left Mickey at the border, a decision he still wasn't sure was the right one. He had struggled internally with what to do the second he sat down in the Jeep that day. Over the past 12 months he couldn't help but wonder to himself, if he had just voiced his concerns, talked things over with Mickey instead of just keeping it all bottled up, would things be different?

He thought about that day all the time, thought about how Mickey's face dropped when he realized Ian wasn't going with him. It was the same face he saw a year prior, just outside Ian's former home. _Former._ Florida was his home now.

 

 _"This is it.  This is you breaking up with me. Really? Fuck."_  
  
  
Ian shook himself from his thoughts. He pulled out his iPhone from his back pocket and called an Über to take him to his new apartment. He had made the decision to move away from Chicago six months ago. He couldn't stay, everything about Chicago felt cold to him, negative. He couldn't continue to sleep in that twin bed that he shared with Mickey. He couldn't bring himself to walk by the Alibi where Mickey had come out for Ian, a memory that was a bittersweet reminder of everything Mickey did for him, that he couldn't.

He needed to leave Chicago and go somewhere warmer. So, after saving up, (again) he applied to every open position he was qualified for, in every warm state he could think of. After several interviews, he finally landed a job in St. Petersburg, Florida. He accepted it immediately and put a deposit down on a small one bedroom apartment. He packed a suitcase full of the things he didn't want to leave behind, said goodbye to his family and bought a one way bus ticket. **Warm. Sunny**. _New._  
  
Ian had a week before he started his new job. He spent the first three days in Florida unpacking and setting up his new apartment with as much goodwill furniture as he could afford.  
  
Finally, on his fourth night in St. Petersburg, he decided to leave the comfort of his new home and wander out to get some dinner. He picked a diner close by that resembled Patsy's Pies; he was drawn to the comfort of something familiar.  
  
He walked into the diner and was seated in one of the only booth's available at the back of the restaurant. The hostess slid him a menu and walked away back towards the front of the diner.

He was so distracted searching for what he wanted to order he didn't notice the waiter approach his table.  
  


"Hello, My name is Alek and I'll be your server tonight, can I get you something to drink?" he asked without looking up from his order pad.  
  


Ian looked up and prepared to give Alek his drink order. Alek was strong, had dirty blonde hair and familiar piercing blue eyes. Only Alek wasn't Alek, Alek....was **Mickey**.  
  
  
Ian stared at him, unable to speak, unable to move. Mickey. Mickey was here. Mickey was here in Florida, not Mexico. _How?_  
  
  
He looked different but the same. His jet black hair has been replaced with dirty blonde, his porcelain pale skin was slightly tanner and he was just as muscular as the day he got out of juvie.  
  
  
_"Not much to do in the joint but work out"_  
  


 After Ian didn't respond, Mickey finally made eye contact with him. His blue eyes grew big and he sucked in a deep breath. He quickly recovered, shook it off and his eyes immediately returned to his order pad. "Well? What'll it be?" he asked coldly.  
  


"Mickey?" Ian asked, barely above a whisper.

  
Mickey thumbed his bottom lip, took his pen and pointed to his name tag. "Alek."

  
Ian sighed. Of course he was going by his middle name now. He couldn't very well go by Mickey.  


"Mick...I mean," Ian lowered his voice, "...Alek...When did you...How did you?" Ian stuttered.  
  


Mickey rolled his eyes, tucked his order pad into his back pocket and stalked away. 

 

"Allie!" Mickey shouted to a tall, skinny, blonde girl. "Watch my tables for me for my five?"  
  


She nodded. Mickey walked past Ian's booth without looking at him and pushed the back door open, it swung shut behind him.

  
There was no invitation for Ian to follow.  
  


Ian's eyes darted around the diner before he got up and followed Mickey out the door anyway.  
  
  
Ian found Mickey pacing outside, a lit cigarette between his lips.  
  
  
"Mickey, what are you doing here?"

 

Mickey stopped pacing and took a pull of his cigarette, "I could ask you the same thing." His eyes darted around looking everywhere except into Ian's. Mickey knew if he made eye contact with him, he would disintegrate.  
  


Ian wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around him, to push him against the wall and slot their mouths together. To cut his words of reservation off with his tongue, just like Mickey had done to Ian at the docks a year ago. He needed to prove to him that even though he left, he never stopped thinking about him.  
  


Ian started to speak, "I...couldn't stay in Chicago....everything reminded me of you." He looked down at his feet, embarrassed. "I missed you so much."

 

Mickey scoffed. "Yeah well...I..." he stopped. "Fuck, I can't do this again."  
  


He always gave in to Ian, _always_. Mickey was not a weak person but Ian made him feel weak. He would do anything for him, no matter what. It wasn't fair. He couldn't do it, he wouldn't do it, not again.

 

Mickey dropped his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with his boot.

 

"I have to go back inside...don't follow me." Mickey pushed the door open roughly and walked back inside leaving Ian standing outside alone.

 

And just like that, St. Petersburg suddenly felt just as cold as Chicago.

 

 ** ~~Warm~~. ~~Sunny~~.** ~~_New_~~.


End file.
